Design for living

The house is a building type that we can all relate to - we all have ideas about what makes a good home in terms of design.

With major constraints on space, demand for housing has always been one of the capital's most pressing issues. With London's population projected to change and expand in the next 20 years - with an extra 1 million people and a dramatic rise in the number of one-person households - we will need new design colutions to meet these needs.

Open House London shows you how architects are meeting this challenge, turning the constraints of limited budget, reuse of existing structures and restricted space to their advantage, to create outstanding spaces to live in - for individuals, families and communities.

This year, take a look at the following designs for living:

Contemporary insertions:

Ott's Yard - development replacing derelict joinery workshop with two new green-roofed houses, based on the existing triangular geometry of the courtyard site.

Forest Mews - 3 bespoke houses, each with a studio and courtyard, set around a communal courtyard.

Shared spaces for living:

The Exchange Bermondsey Spa Gardens - new mixed-tenure housing development, designed as an urban village for modern living for Notting Hill Housing.

Royal Road - new development of 100% affordable housing around a central communal garden.

Using 'leftover' spaces:

40a Dawlish Avenue - award-winning sustainable private house, built on a neglected polot tucked away at the end of a suburban cul-de-sac.

Bateman Mews - five houses designed as 'huts in the garden' of the large surrounding villas, with green roofs and a large shared garden.